Southampton

Southampton's population expanded in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in ethnicity, health and work life.

The population reached nearly 240,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Southampton increased by 8.9%, from just over 217,000 to 237,000.

The addition of about 19,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Southampton was home to, on average, 34 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres). This made it the South East's second-most densely-populated unitary authority.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Southampton

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Southampton decreased by one year, from 33 to 32 years.

This city had the third-lowest average age in the South East and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 6,300 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by about 900.

About 22% of people in Southampton are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Southampton by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

This area saw the South East's largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple.

Across the region, Dover saw the next largest increase in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple (from 8.1% in 2001 to 10% in 2011).

During this period, Southampton went from having the 22nd-highest to the 11th-highest percentage of cohabiting households out of 309 English local authority areas.

In 2011, just under one in nine (11%) households in Southampton had an unmarried couple, compared with 8.9% in 2001. The percentage with just a single person decreased from 34% to 34%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was higher than across the South East

Percentage of households that that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Southampton

The number of people in Southampton from the White ethnic groups remained close to 200,000 between the last two seasons. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 92% to 86%.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the South East (from 95% to 91%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Southampton from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 9,900 in 2001 to just under 20,000 in 2011 (from 4.6% to 8.4%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 3,300 to just under 5,700 (from 1.5% to 2.4%).

Just under 5,100 people (1.0%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just over 2,200 in 2001 (2.1%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Southampton decreased by 6.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Southampton by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Southampton residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.6% to 5.1% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (83%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 68% in 2001. The percentage of Southampton residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Southampton decreased by 3.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Southampton, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Southampton working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 13% to 8.9% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 25 (4.2%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.5% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Southampton decreased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Southampton, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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